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The Hare and the Hedgehog — cover illustration
Classic story

The Hare and the Hedgehog

by Brothers Grimm

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A proud and haughty hare insults a hedgehog’s short legs, prompting the hedgehog to challenge him to a running race. The wager is set for a golden coin and a bottle of brandy, which the hare accepts with mocking confidence. Knowing he cannot outrun his rival in a straight sprint, the clever hedgehog devises a secret plan with his wife before the competition begins. He instructs her to hide in one of the furrows at the end of the field where the race will take place. When the race starts, the hare sprints away like a whirlwind, leaving the hedgehog far behind. However, just as the hare reaches the finish line, the hedgehog’s wife jumps up and shouts that she is already there. Confused by this apparent impossibility, the hare demands a rematch to prove his superiority. He runs back to the starting point with great speed, only to find the hedgehog waiting at the top of the field. The hedgehog simply states that he has arrived just as quickly, forcing another round of running. This pattern repeats many times, with the hare exhausting himself by running back and forth across the field. Each time the hare arrives, either the hedgehog or his wife claims to be there first, bewildering the proud animal. The hare’s pride turns to desperation as he realizes he is being outsmarted by a creature he deemed inferior. On the final run, the exhausted hare collapses in the middle of the field and dies from the strain. The hedgehog and his wife claim their winnings and return home, victorious through wit and teamwork. This tale serves as a warning against arrogance and highlights the power of clever strategy over brute speed.

How it begins

This story, my dear young folks, seems to be false, but it really is true, for my grandfather, from whom I have it, used always, when relating it, to say complacently, "It must be true, my son, or else no one could tell it to you." The story is as follows. One Sunday morning about harvest time, just as the buckwheat was in bloom, the sun was shining brightly in heaven, the east wind was blowing warmly over the stubble-fields, the larks were singing in the air, the bees buzzing among the buckwheat, the people were all going in their Sunday clothes to church, and all creatures were happy, and the hedgehog was happy too. The hedgehog, however, was standing…

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